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Coming soon to a [new] car near you..........................

http://ec.europa.eu/information_society/activities/esafety/ecall/index_en.htm

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The world runs on oil, period. No other substance can compete when it comes to energy density, flexibility, ease of handling, ease of transportation. If oil didn’t exist we would have to invent it.”

56 years after it was decided it was needed, the Bedford Bypass is nearing completion. The last single carriageway length of it.We have the most photogenic mayor though, always being photographed doing nothing

Also discussed on El Reg at EU signs off on eCall emergency-phone-in-every-car plan!

What a waste of money and invasion of privacy

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From the eCall FAQ


Kerr-ching!!!

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The survey that alledgedly showed massive support for this project (see Impact Assessment) had a mere 23 responses from the UK!

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The thing is, the UK population seems to have a very "arm's length" approach to the EU, doesn't really get involved in the decision making process, and then we moan like stink when "those people in Brussels" make laws that affect us!

Anyway, back to e-Call, the benefits are hard to deny - 50% reduction in emergency service response times in rural areas! As someone who spends a lot of time on "unclassified" rural roads with poor mobile coverage, I do sometimes wonder what I'd do if I came across (or was involved in) a serious accident. Even when there IS a mobile signal, it's sometimes hard (without an OS map) to explain to the emergency service operator where exactly you are.

The French have been pushing this for a while now - quite a few French cars already have it. To be honest, as long as the driver can disable the system, I can't see a downside. If the driver can't disable it, I can see a privacy issue. For example, I can see the day coming when it transmits all the data from the "black box" too (speed, lateral acceleration, throttle position, engine speed....etc) in the last 30 seconds or so, leading up to the accident. It's a trivial amount of data to send...

On the upside, sat-nav will be available as standard on all cars by the time this kicks-in, I guess.

I wonder how well it would work, last weekend I broke down in northern Italy and supplied the lat/long from my sat-nav to Britannia and was then told by IMA UK (the international company they use) they could not use it. I had to start looking up the names of local towns on my sat-nav so they could try to work out where I was.

This was a Saturday afternoon and it took until Tuesday for them to get a garage to look at the car, but that is another story.

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Driving fast is for a particular time and place, I can do it I just only do it occasionally because I am a gentleman.
- James May

There seems to be a new way to ID where you are Mapcode (here)
(Sorry to hear of your troubles Toltec ! )

Many distrust the government organisations to just readily hand over our private data to ever more 'helping organisations' that we have to comply with. We end up without a choice and so it becomes a trust and privacy issue. (As has been stated).
Aside: The RAF will soon end the helicopter rescue side of our services (very sad IMHO), and a private organisation will take over.

I agree that as long as I can turn it off or refuse to have it then fair enough.

My sat nav might be able to offer this service and frankly ought to if free AND, and only IF, absolutely NO other data is made available to them without my strict permission.
I know that our mobile phone signals plot our movements for those nosy officials who might decide to locate us at any point! Worrying in itself!

How soon (if not already planned), before they just say lets use this 'service' to track our every move? First make it have a 'convincer', the genuine helpful service then, once people are sold on that you add 'other' services!
I am concerned but the principal is fair. I guess if the 'car' activated it, but only ever on an accident, like when doors or fuel can activate or 'trip' that might be more acceptable.
Trust is so quick to lose and so very hard to regain.

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